


I like you, Nanase-senpai

by darkmus



Series: Catalytic Confessions [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 10:19:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10008863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmus/pseuds/darkmus
Summary: A girl confesses to Haru but he turns her down





	

It's a few minutes into the lunch break and Makoto is looking for Haru so they can go eat on the roof. He turns the corner and stops short. He doesn't mean to, but he overhears a girl confessing to his best friend. 

"Nanase-senpai," she says tremulously, "I like you."

Makoto winces for the girl; he's pretty sure he knows what's coming. He only hopes that Haru will turn her down gently. 

"I don't like you. Sorry."

Ouch. So much for that. The 'sorry' even sounded like a hastily added afterthought.

The girl makes a quiet whimpering sound, but nods sadly. 

"Can I ask why?"

Then Haru says something Makoto never thought he'd hear. 

"I like someone else."

Makoto's gasps softly; it's like a bucket of ice water has been poured on him and his heart squeezes painfully. 

Makoto had always assumed that Haru just wasn't into relationships and his only true love was water. After all, he's pretty sure that Haru only tolerates him sometimes because they've known each other for so long. But he guesses he doesn't know his best friend as well as he thought. 

Makoto wonders who she is (or he is, he thinks with vague hope) and why Haru never mentioned anything. Then again, they've never really discussed girls or romantic relationships. Half because he was so sure Haru wasn't interested and half because he didn't want to say anything about himself.

He isn't sure how Haru would take it if he said he liked guys instead. But more than that, he's worried how Haru would take it if he said he liked him in particular. 

He never wanted that to happen, but it did. Somewhere along the line, it happened. Makoto doesn't remember when exactly, but it's been a long time coming. 

But now that he knows Haru likes someone he's definitely not going to say anything, even if he had the guts. Better to hide his feelings than make Haru uncomfortable and ill at ease. 

On the other hand, maybe saying he was interested in someone else was just Haru's way of rejecting advances. His stomach is twisting in all sorts of anxious knots caused by all the possibilities that this conversation has made aware. 

The girl walks away downtrodden and Makoto ducks back around the corner so it doesn't seem like he's snooping. 

He tries to calm himself, to ignore the dull ache Haru's confession has made, and somehow manages to get back to a normal level of friendliness as not to arouse suspicion. 

Haru rounds the corner. 

"Makoto," he greets. 

"Ah, Haru-chan," Makoto says brightly, his false smile turning more real at the pout Haru gives him over his nickname. "Do you want to eat on the roof?"

Haru nods and they go. 

~~~

For the rest of the week, all Makoto can think about is who Haru could possibly like. He's been tempted so many times to ask, but he wasn't supposed to be listening in to that conversation anyway. Haru probably wouldn't mind that he heard, but he would probably mind if he asked who. 

However, it turns out that he doesn't need to bring up the conversation; Nagisa does it for him at lunch on Friday 

"Nee, Haru-chan! I heard from a girl in my class that you turned down Hana-chan. She said you told her that you liked someone else!"

Haru gives him an annoyed look before popping another piece of mackerel in his mouth. His eyes roll and he shrugs. 

"Haruka-senpai, you like someone?" Rei asks incredulously. 

Makoto stays silent. 

"Who is it, Haru-chan? Have you confessed? Do you need help? Advice?" asks Nagisa in rapid-fire questions. "I'm great at love advice!"

"I hardly believe that, Nagisa-kun," Rei says haughtily. 

"Hey!" protests Nagisa. "Rei-chan, you don't know how many girls I helped out in middle school. I was a legend!"

"I haven't confessed," Haru says, much to Makoto's surprise. 

This stops Nagisa and Rei's bickering. 

"Why not?" asks Nagisa gently. 

"It wouldn't work out."

"You don't know that, Haru-chan!"

Haru shrugs again and fills his mouth with rice. Despite Nagisa's prodding, he doesn't talk again until lunch is over.

~~~

As they walk home, Makoto's curiosity gets the better of him and he can't help himself; he blurts out one of the questions that's been buzzing through his mind. At least it's the mildest one of the many he's been thinking. 

"Haru, why didn't you ever mention you liked someone?"

Haru gives him an annoyed sideways look and Makoto swallows. 

"Ah, sorry… I guess that can be kinda personal..." he adds guiltily.

"Why are you so interested?"

Makoto doesn't want to say one of the real reasons, so he goes for the most polite one. 

"You're my best friend, I always want to know what you are thinking."

"Do you like someone?" Haru asks instead.

Makoto halts for a moment, caught off guard, before jerkily resuming his pace. 

"Ah… I… I do," he admits reluctantly.

Haru looks at him in surprise. 

"Why didn't _you_ say anything, then?" Haru asks. "That's a bit hypocritical."

Makoto laughs nervously. 

"Sorry, Haru-chan. You're right."

They walk in silence for a bit, Makoto feeling very guilty. He shouldn't have said anything.

"So who is it?" Haru asks. "The one you like."

Makoto's heart squeezes and he stops walking this time. Haru pauses too and turns to him. 

"You… won't like the answer."

"Is it someone I know?"

"Yeah," Makoto says softly. 

Haru looks away. 

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Haru mumbles. "But... you don't have to worry that it might be the person I like."

Makoto narrows his eyes in confusion. Well, that's true, but…

"How do you know that?"

Haru is silent for a long time and it comes to a point that Makoto assumes that Haru wants to drop of the conversation all together. He's about to start walking again when Haru speaks up.

"It's because…" Haru starts haltingly. He ducks his head, swallows, then looks up at Makoto's green eyes shyly.

"Because it's you."

Makoto's heart all but stops.

"What?"

Haru blushes and turns his head away, with a tiny scowl on his face. 

"Sorry," Haru says quietly. 

Makoto shakes his head, though Haru doesn't see. 

"Don't be sorry, Haru-chan."

Haru looks back at him, grousing at the diminutive honorific. 

Makoto smiles softly. 

"You're the one I like, too."

Haru's eyes go wide and blushes even more as he processes the new information. When it really hits him, his blue eyes flutter in rapid blinks before he gives Makoto a quiet smile, looking very pleased. 

Makoto goes to Haru's side and they resume walking, blushes dusting both their faces. Their shoulders bump together a bit, fingers brushing, before they join hands.


End file.
